


You’ll Find Me By The Rose Bushes

by Mellaaaa



Series: When Demons Come Out To Play [2]
Category: The Resident TV (2018)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mellaaaa/pseuds/Mellaaaa
Summary: Red roses symbolize love.
Relationships: Randolph Bell & Grayson Betournay, Randolph Bell/Kit Voss, if you squint
Series: When Demons Come Out To Play [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809391
Kudos: 3





	You’ll Find Me By The Rose Bushes

He’s been wandering the face of the earth for 65 years now. The mortals he approached would come and go as fast as death (pun intended). Maybe he did deserve this... what was it Catholics would call it? Purgatory? Yes! That’s was they called it.

Randolph Bell has been to enough churches (ironically) to learn that a human soul that wanders the Earth wasn’t considered a punishment. It was more of... redemption. Repentance for their sins. A chance to free themselves from their mistakes when still living. 

The living couldn’t see him, so that’s a plus.

He died April 27th, 1955. He’s seen humanity evolve during his time on Earth. He’s seen women gain their right to vote and a voice in the world. He’s seen people of color earn their place within society. They would shout, cry, and scream. They were determined, they would never back down. 

However it seemed that no matter what he did, it was never good enough. They said that once you’ve-well... redeemed yourself you would find piece. And would finally be able to rest. Whatever that meant. He wanted peace. He wanted freedom. He was so tired. 

Was six and half decades of wandering not enough for repentance? If it wasn’t... wasn’t he technically an unclaimed demon? Randolph furrowed his brow in concentration as walked towards a large estate. It was the closest place he could call home. Not that souls really needed one. 

Huh. It’s been years since someone had occupied this place. It was a really nice house- don’t get him wrong- but people never really gravitated towards that particular house much. Nearly seventy years near this place and he still can’t figure the logic behind that. 

Stepping closer to one of the estate’s many windows, Randolph peered inside to see a brunette woman in a floral dress seated next to a man that was starting to gray. The matching wedding bands proved the obvious... they were married. 

Not a great pairing , Randolph mused. But love is love. He wasn’t one to judge. Hey, just because he was the devil, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t a sucker for a good love story. 

“Grayson!” He heard the woman call through the window’s glass. The light pitter patter of feet was clear to his ears and a smile appeared on his face. He hadn’t meant to smile, but when the little boy came into view, it was a subconscious action. His muscles take all the blame for it. 

The kid was cute, to say the least. He looked to be no older than four, with chubby cheeks, a mop of curly hair, plump little fingers, and a cheeky smirk. Dear Satan, when did kids learn how to smirk?

His mother (Randolph presumes) lifts the kid-Grayson- up and into her lap, and Randolph watched as the little boy babbled as he played with the stuffed platypus in his lap. 

“Platty!” Grayson yelled, and Randolph’s smile grew at the little boy’s enthusiasm. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad... it wasn’t like any of them could see him. Whether that was a good thing or not was still to be determined. 

** ••• **

It’s been six months since the Betournay family-he learned that over the months- had moved in and honestly, Randolph really didn’t mind it. He would wander around the mansion and discreetly watch Grayson playing whenever either of his parents left him alone in a room. 

Randolph leaned against one of the pillars in their backyard as he watched Grayson stack building blocks on top of each other, the stack of blocks nearly as high as him. He watched the little boy with a serene smile and merely stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Grayson turned towards the window and an adorable grin spread across the toddler’s face. He raised his chubby hand and started to wave it around frantically, promptly forcing Randolph to turn around to see who he was waving. The spirit looked back at the little boy in confusion once realizing that there was nobody there. 

To his utter surprise, Grayson ran outside to the backyard and stopped right in front of him, smile never wavering. 

“Hi Stranger, I’m Grayson!” The kid greeted and Randolph’s eyes widened in shock. A little unsure of who the kid was talking to, he hesitates.

“Hi,” he answers a little dumbfounded. Grayson smiles even wider-and Randolph isn’t even sure that’s anatomically possible-that he can’t help but smile back. “You... you can see me?” He asks softly. The toddler nods vigorously and tugs on his hand. 

(But like really, this kid is violating the laws of nature, biology, death, and possibly physics. He isn’t so sure about physics, but that’s why he’s thinking possibly.) 

He lets Grayson drag him into the house and forces him to sit next to him on the floor. 

“What’s your name?” Randolph smiles gently at the boy’s curiosity.

“My name is Randolph, Grayson.” The toddler grins when the nice man says his name. 

“Well, Sir Randolph, what do you like to play?” Grayson asks, looking up at him with Bambi eyes. 

“Do you know how to play Hide-and-Seek?” When the little boy shakes his head, Randolph smiles mischievously. 

“That’s okay. I’ll teach you...” 

** ••• **

_ 10 years later... _

“Bell! Are you there?” Grayson yells as he walks out the backyard, plopping down on the garden bench and dropping his school bag by his feet. As if appearing out of thin air (which he did, by the way), and walking over to the bench and sitting next to Grayson. 

“What’s going on, kiddo?” Grayson sighs in frustration as tears start to well up in his eyes. Bell quickly pulls Grayson into an embrace and runs a hand through his unruly curls. “I’m right here,” Bell soothes.

“People hate me. They’re calling me freak because of my stupid acne. Then my teacher gave me detention for next Monday because I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. And on top of that, Mom and Dad didn’t even ask if I was okay,” the teenager sobbed as he burrowed into Bell’s warmth. 

Gritting his teeth, Bell continues to sooth the crying teen in his arms, it was almost like he was four years old again. 

He’s been walking on this Earth for 75 years now, and this kid in his arms has made the last decade worthwhile. Maybe he didn’t really need repentance. 

Grayson Betournay is his redemption. 

** ••• **

_ 8 years later... _

Grayson is twenty two now, and he’s interning for a top surgeon in Atlanta, or that’s what he says. Bell couldn’t be bothered checking this surgeon out. But he can’t help but contemplate this purgatory. 

He’s redeemed himself now, apparently. And now he’s gotta go. He hates it, he really does because he loved that kid like his own. But maybe this is a good thing now. His kid needs to grow on his own. It’s probably for the better. He’s been here over eighty years. 

He would see his Kit now, finally. But he still needs to say goodbye. Tell the kid he’s been redeemed and he’s gotta leave now. Really gonna miss that kid, and it really really stings. But it is what it is. 

Grayson bursts through the backyard doors just like he does every time he wants to see him. Bell can’t help but smile sadly at the same grinning face he met 18 years ago. He had to speak before his throat closes up. 

“Hey kid,” Bell starts before Grayson could go in about his day. “There’s something I gotta tell you.” Grayson nods and sits down on the same bench they’ve been sitting at ever since he could remember and he gestured Bell to continue. 

“They said I’ve been redeemed,” the older man whispers and Grayson doesn’t need to ask who ‘they’ was. All he knew was that it hurt. A lot. That stupid lump in his throat came back as he tried to swallow the onslaught of tears. 

“Does that mean you need to go?” He asks hoarsely, and he could feel the lump growing and the tears blurring his vision. Bell nodded his head solemnly as the spirit hastily wiped away a few tears. 

“I mean... I-I-I mean you’re gonna see your wife again. Tell Kit I said hi, okay? Please tell her about me the way you told me about her,” he requests and Bell could only nod his head. 

“Of course,” he smiles, “you’re my kid and you always will be. I’m never gonna forget you kiddo.” Bell pulls Grayson into a tight hug and presses a kiss to his hair. “I love you kid... so much.” Grayson nods feebly against the crook of his neck. 

“I love you too,” Grayson whispers back. Bell gently pulls away from the embrace and kisses the kid’s forehead one last time. 

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Bell looks over his shoulder at Grayson and smiles. Grayson smiles that charming smile Bell’s come to love all these years one last time as he waves at him as enthusiastically as he did when he was only four. 

Bell waves back this time as he disappears into the rose bushes. 

** ••• **

_ 15 years later... _

A thirty seven year old Grayson Betournay walks down the cemetery. He comes to a stop on front of a tombstone and kneels down, running his fingers across the name engraved. 

“I miss you,” Grayson utters quietly. The lump in his throat is gone and and he smiles brightly at the name in front of him. “Thank you... for absolutely everything. I love you.” 

He lovingly placed the bushel of roses next to the tombstone and stands up. He turns away to leave, but not before looking at the tombstone one last time. 

_ In Loving Memory of Randolph Bell _

_ August 12, 1899 ~ April 27, 1955 _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading!! :)


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